Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator ($65.00 for 0.68 fl. oz.) is described as a “shimmering, peach-pink.” It’s a warm-toned, golden-shimmered coral-orange with a pearly sheen. This is an illuminator, not a blush, so if you’re more in the market for something with substantial coloring to work as a blush, try perusing the coral swatch gallery.
The formula is designed to mimic “the look of skin bathed in summer evening light.” And you’ll have to track it down in-store to find it, because it sold out online nearly instantly. The Skin Illuminator can be applied all over, mixed with foundation, or as a spot highlighter “under or over makeup.” The consistency is lightweight, naturally dewy, and thin. When I wore it all-over, it lasted all day long with whatever foundation I was wearing (it didn’t seem to reduce my foundation’s wear time or how it looked at the end of the day). As a spot highlighter, it gave me a dewy finish wherever it was applied for eight hours.
I, personally, think it works best mixed with foundation or moisturizer. I’ve been wearing Giorgio Armani’s Maestro foundation a lot, and it doesn’t work well mixed with this (I think it has too much of a velvety texture from the silicones in it), but I loved it mixed with my tinted moisturizer or a more traditional liquid foundation like Make Up For Ever HD. If you want to wear it all-over and plan to still wear foundation, I recommend mixing the two together during application, because then the foundation doesn’t cover it. There’s a very subtle radiance that’s your-skin-but-better that doesn’t read shimmer, glitter, or pearl. Applied as a spot highlighter it does create a glowy, dewy sheen, but it’s virtually colorless against my skin tone so it would be something better suited for really pale complexions.
The Beauty Look Book has a great comparison of this against NARS’ Orgasm Illuminator (which I don’t have), which seems to be pinker overall (but it is also $30.00 for 1.1 oz.), so it might be a more affordable (and accessible) alternative.
This is an illuminator, not a blush, so if you're more in the market for something with substantial coloring to work as a blush, try perusing the coral swatch gallery. It adds a lovely dewy sheen or all-over glow if mixed with your moisturizer/foundation. It's something I'd wear most often with tinted moisturizer or a foundation that was too matte.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman -- sold out online!
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Edward Bess Summer in Capri Quad Royale ($45.00 for 0.25 oz.) is described as a “beige pink.” It’s a medium-dark brown with a rosy, plummy tinge and a satiny sheen. The individual colors are: a soft peach, warm beige-peach with a satin sheen, muted, medium brown with neutral undertones, and pale peach with a satin finish. bareMinerals The Indecent Proposal is much darker, more plum, less beige. MAC Darkly my Dear is darker but similar in color. NARS Douceur is slightly browner. Burberry Cameo is rosier.
The palette is primarily marketed as a cheek product, though it can be used on the eyes. It contains four shades to “sculpt and highlight the face.” As a blush/cheek color, it’s easier to use sections but not individual shades, as only the bottom right shade is large enough to accommodate a blush brush (and even that is not that large). Summer in Capri had good, true-to-pan color payoff, but it’s a lighter shade and will not show up well on medium-dark and deeper complexions, so I would recommend it primarily for lighter skin tones.
It is subtle on my skin tone (I’m medium) and adds some definition and color without being over-the-top. The texture is soft like silk, incredibly finely-milled, and so smooth. The finish is lovely with a satiny sheen that doesn’t look shimmery or heavy on the skin and gives skin a natural-looking glow. It lasted eight and a half hours well on my skin, and it started to fade after nine hours of wear.
Summer in Capri had good, true-to-pan color payoff, but it's a lighter shade and will not show up well on medium-dark and deeper complexions, so I would recommend it primarily for lighter skin tones.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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As I mentioned in my review for MAC’s Refined Golden, there were some serious texture issues (oddities?) with the regular bronzing powders in this collection. A few readers chimed in and said they had similar issues with past limited edition releases of the normally-permanent shades. That, of course, worries me, because I was originally chalking it up to being one-off, because the permanent versions have a normal, powder-like texture. The texture of Soft Sand almost felt like plastic–almost like a very stiff cream bronzer that didn’t give much payoff at all. I took a paper tough and just went to town getting the first few layers off, and that seemed to help quite a bit. I was able to get it to pick up on my brush after that and had it show up well on my skin. It lasted just under eight hours well without fading. I had issues with the texture of last year’s Soft Sand, too; there were very similar issues but this felt even worse and even harder to get to work.
I had issues with the texture of last year's Soft Sand, too; there were very similar issues but this felt even worse and even harder to get to work.
Product
5/10
Pigmentation
4/10
Texture
3/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
3.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC, May 16th online (approximately), May 23rd in-stores; $25.00
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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I had a very odd experience with this shade (as well as the other one, which I’ll be reviewing soon), which was it was nearly impossible to get color payoff out of it. It felt like plastic almost, not a powder; I almost thought it was a cream. I have, actually, once received a powder compact that was filled with a plastic “powder” pan instead of a real powder pan. I thought maybe it was twice lucky… No, it was a powder–I scraped at it with a metal spatula to dislodge enough product to swatch. It felt almost creamy but there was next to no color payoff. But lo and behold, after rubbing off a few layers with a paper towel, it seemed to be more like a powder. I was able to get it to show up on my cheeks. It lasted seven and a half hours on me, and then it was slightly faded after eight hours.
With all of that said, my version is a press sample, and though it was in regular retail packaging (so it wasn’t an early batch or a small-run of products, which just means it should be what you get), I’m so baffled by it, I’m not really sure. This is part of the permanent range, though, and I have had this shade previously without the odd texture issues. My rating is based on this being a one-off, odd occurrence (and rating based on the texture of my older compact) but recommend checking it out for yourself or buying the permanent version (cheaper and available in a black compact). I’m still finding it a very, very bizarre event.
My rating is based on this being a one-off, odd occurrence (and rating based on the texture of my older compact) but recommend checking it out for yourself or buying the permanent version (cheaper and available in a black compact).
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
trong>MAC, May 16th online (approximately), May 23rd in-stores; $25.00
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Sun Dipped is just as fantastic as Nude on Board, which is always a good sign, because consistency is really an underrated characteristic. It has the same creamy, buttery, silky-smooth texture that elevates this product from good to great. The pigmentation is buildable, as described, and can be applied sheerly, semi-sheerly, or more moderately. This particular shade almost has a shadowy tint to it, so it might work as a contour for some (though I hesitate to mention that, because it is shimmery and contour powders tend to be more matte, but as this blends out, the shimmer turns into a very subtle sheen so it looks rather natural). When I wore Sun Dipped yesterday, it wore well for a full nine hours and only had slight fading after ten hours.
The texture is phenomenal; so soft and silky but never powdery. It sits well on the skin and looks natural. Plus, it wears well!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC, May 16th online (approximately), May 23rd in-stores; $30.00
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders, and I’m so happy to see their return this year. The first thing you’ll notice is how utterly silky-smooth the texture is. It’s buttery, creamy, lightweight, and extremely finely-milled. It’s so soft, but it’s not powdery. Nude on Board blends out effortlessly, and it sits well on the skin without emphasizing pores. It’s supposed to give “sheer-low transparent coverage,” plus long-wear and with a natural finish.
Just to double-check the awesomeness that is the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder formula, I re-tested wear, and I didn’t have any noticeable fading until the tenth hour. The color payoff is buildable, and it’s a subtle bronzer but it can be layered to more intense payoff, if desired.
I would recommend Nude on Board for those who prefer warmer bronzers (particularly those with naturally warm undertones).
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC, May 16th online (approximately), May 23rd in-stores; $30.00
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
